The 7 Most Expensive Words in Business

Jeffro [00:00:01]:
Hi. My name is Jeffro, and this is Digital Dominance, the podcast for service based small business owners who are ready to seize the recognition and growth that their company deserves. You’ve worked hard to build a business you’re proud of. Now it’s time for Digital Domination. Welcome back to Digital Dominance. Depending on when you were born, the digital economy can either feel natural and comfortable, Or it can feel very alien and intimidating. But there’s no denying that our economy is becoming more and more digital every day. People find companies through Google or Yelp.  

Jeffro [00:00:35]:
People read reviews before picking up the phone. People pay through Venmo instead of mailing a check. And this progression is not going to stop. In fact, it’s more inevitable than Thanos. That’s why the stakes are so high. And if you catch yourself uttering some version of the phrase because we’ve always done it this way, Then you’ve got to snap out of it and take a hard look at what’s working and not working in your marketing. My guest today is going to help us do just that As we unpack how a change resistant mentality can tank your business. Nicholas Saller is a business adviser and consultant who lives and breathes business.

Jeffro [00:01:10]:
A true entrepreneur, he had a business before he had a driver’s license. He’s worked with countless companies, and he’s helped them improve their operations and efficiencies. And part of what makes him successful is that he understands the bigger picture, and that includes an awareness of how digital marketing plays into the overall strategy. So welcome to Digital Dominance, Nick. Thanks for being here.

Nicholas Saller [00:01:31]:
Thanks, Jeffro. I appreciate it. It’s good to be here.

Jeffro [00:01:33]:
Yeah. And I’m excited to dive into this because this is a very insidious roadblock. This is a blind spot that we usually don’t recognize until someone points it out to us. In your experience, what’s the best way for an owner to identify when they’re clinging to the status quo without good reason.

Nicholas Saller [00:01:50]:
That’s a good question. I think you have a couple different personality types. You have owners that embrace the potential of change, and they’ll even say, hey. I don’t know everything. I wanna work with someone who can help me fill in my blind spots. And you have some owners that are completely resistant. They don’t feel like they have a problem at all, and yet their business is flagging or or trending towards failure. And that’s a tough place to be because if they don’t feel they have a problem and their business continues to go down year after year and they just go, I just don’t understand it.

Nicholas Saller [00:02:17]:
And it’s like, Well, we can’t force you to change. We just have to try to support you and lead with, you know, gentle guidance to to move you in the right direction. But, the folks that are completely resistant are the ones that are looking at closing their business. It’s just a matter of time, and the clock is ticking.

Jeffro [00:02:33]:
Do you have any examples of a client who was stuck thinking this way.

Nicholas Saller [00:02:38]:
Yeah. I do, actually. This is an interesting story. So, October before COVID hit, I was working with a client. This is a long term client. Been working together for, going on 4 years. And I said to the client, I said, hey, something’s changing in the market. I don’t know exactly what it is, but patterns in the market are pointing to there’s gonna be a massive shift, and it’s gonna come very quickly.

Nicholas Saller [00:02:59]:
You need to take all of your business operations online that you can immediately. And that client was very resistant to change. And what happened was is that Then when COVID was announced and things started shutting down like crazy, that client was caught on their heels and backpedaling. And it was a very, damaging and expensive situation for them because of the fact they could have been ahead of the curve because there was 4 to 6 months before COVID really kinda gained traction. And instead, they were on their heels the whole time through COVID. I don’t know. I don’t work with that client these days, so I’m not sure how their business is doing, but it was certainly a A big roadblock for them to try to make up the difference.

Jeffro [00:03:35]:
Yeah. It’s so frustrating because in hindsight, you’re like, oh, I should’ve done that. And Kudos to you for pointing that out to him, obviously, and we all need somebody like that in our lives. But my question here is, what causes someone to get Stuck here. Is it fear and insecurity? Is it pure ignorance or habit? Is it something else?

Nicholas Saller [00:03:53]:
That’s a good question. I think it’s different for different folks. You know, Imposter syndrome is probably a a lot wider in application than anybody realizes. So I think there is a certain level of A professional fear of, you know, am I where I’m supposed to be? Will people find out that, you know, I’m I’m not quite who I think I am or whatever, or see me differently. So there’s the the fear side of things, but then there’s also, some folks that unfortunately struggle with the ignorance, as well where it’s just They’ve always done it this way. It had worked for them in the past, or they just struggle to be told anything other than you’re doing a good job. And that gets to be very expensive and very damaging for an entrepreneur.

Jeffro [00:04:33]:
Well, yeah. And that kind of spills over into personal development too, not just, you know, business strategy. So So there’s a lot that can get in the way there. Part of the goal of of this podcast is to equip people with the knowledge and understanding they need in order to embrace digital marketing And move forward with more confidence in that approach. And because I believe that understanding some of the goals and possibilities makes that first step seem much less daunting. Would Would you agree?

Nicholas Saller [00:04:58]:
Agree.

Jeffro [00:05:00]:
I know also that much of your experience and expertise kinda falls under the category of operations, but Many of the principles you use and teach can apply to any aspect of the business. So another thing I’m curious about is, how often is marketing a bottleneck For the businesses that you work with.

Nicholas Saller [00:05:16]:
I would say it’s it’s fairly often to the point where when I sit down with a potential client for the first time I do an what’s called a 90 minute business builder value session. It’s a gift to the entrepreneur. No strings attached. If they wanna become a client, they can certainly ask about it, but I don’t Do any way, shape, or form an elevator speech or anything about working with them. It’s more an opportunity to interview each other and also create value for the entrepreneur. The interesting thing based on your question is is that the number one thing that entrepreneurs ask me about is marketing in general and very much focused on the digital marketing space. So I think it’s a super hot topic right now. And especially because you’ve got, more generations in the workforce right now than you’ve ever had before.

Nicholas Saller [00:05:58]:
Many of the older generations are learning as they go. They’re building the plane as they fly out when it comes to marketing and digital marketing in particular. So, those conversations tend to trend that way. We have good discussions around that. And, even though most of my focus has been operations, I do have some Pretty, decent understanding as far as from the marketing and even in the digital marketing space as well.

Jeffro [00:06:20]:
Do you have an example Client you can tell us about where they came to you and, like, I just need help with marketing.

Nicholas Saller [00:06:28]:
Probably too many to count. I tend so if a client comes to me and says, whether we’ve had the business builder or they’re just a referral, introduction from someone else and they say, I need help with marketing. I will endeavor to help them in more of the physical and traditional channels of marketing and then refer out for specific digital marketing efforts Based on folks that do that on a daily basis. But I will advise them on overall strategy about how to, really make their brand stand out in the digital space. I just had a conversation with a client this morning about this, very topic. We were, this is a coatings and no work company, very trades based organization, and they are slowly integrating into a digital presence. And so one One of the things that I sat down with them and said is is that, here’s the deal. You can only be up and awake so much of the day.

Nicholas Saller [00:07:22]:
You have to have other ways to Expand and force multiply who you are as a business owner. So what we outlined today in this conversation was is to create 3 to 10, videos that are explainer videos of how they do their process and what sets them apart from the industry at large, And then make it an organic reach rather than, you know, doing too much polish on it because a lot of the younger generations, they embrace more of the organic videos than they do the For high polished ones.

Jeffro [00:07:50]:
Mhmm. And that makes sense. It it’s hard to get away from now, so we’re moving that direction. You can’t hide behind, Like we said, be because we’ve always done it that way. You know? We’ve established that’s a bad way to run your business. But on the flip side, it’s also not wise to jump at Every possibility either because there’s so many tools and platforms, and you can’t just keep jumping around from one to the other. So What’s a better phrase we could replace that with or a better mentality that we could replace that with?

Nicholas Saller [00:08:20]:
You mean as far as, like, trying to embrace new concepts Quickly.

Jeffro [00:08:23]:
Yeah. Instead of because we’ve always done it this way, also it’s bad to just gotta try everything. So what’s what’s an approach that we can have Almost as a mantra as we’re going forward into this unknown marketplace and knowing we have to embrace change, but we don’t wanna get ahead of ourselves or trip up ourselves as we go.

Nicholas Saller [00:08:42]:
That’s a good question, Jeffro not sure that I have a specific phrase for it, but what I will share is is put a potential decent way to go about it. Business owners that are open to learning, should always have what I would term like child’s eyes when they approach any situation. So they’re looking at from a new lens at all times even though they’re using some of their previous experiences and stuff like that. When sitting down with the business owner, here’s how I would encourage them to go about it. Use what is on brand first and foremost When it comes to any new approaches and stuff like that, you know, they’re gonna get recommendations from professionals. And a lot of times, professionals will have varying recommendations. So I would say, if they’re listening to multiple different professionals is use the strategies that sound like they’re doable first and foremost And on brand second. And I would encourage each business owner to constantly be reading on the concepts of marketing and digital marketing, and here’s why.

Nicholas Saller [00:09:39]:
When you sit down with an expert such as yourself or other digital marketers or marketers in general, they speak a very specific dialect of, expertise. Many business owners don’t have any idea what that professional is telling them. So it’s good for business owners to be at least read up at a basic level, listening some podcasts and stuff that, and they compare that to what is their vision, mission, values, story for the brand as it currently stands, what they have for the future, And then how do they roll that up with an on brand message based on what that professional is telling them?

Jeffro [00:10:12]:
Right. And so that that’s a good way to do it because just Obviously, looking at everything fresh instead of having preconceived notions is important, but I think you also need a business coach or strategist, you know, An outside perspective to kinda speak into your business and kinda give guidance. Right? So if you see something, you’re like, oh, that looks interesting. I go to Nick and say, hey. What do you think about this? Do you think this makes sense for my business or my strategy? Right? That way you kinda get that 2nd opinion, so you’re not just jumping at the shiny object.

Nicholas Saller [00:10:42]:
Yeah. And, Jeffro, just, if you if I may add on one more point to that, one of the things that I guide, any business that I’m working with, on is rather than doing what everybody else is doing, go in the opposite direction. So I’ll give you a few examples. The Savannah Bananas is a perfect example. They are wildly successful at what they do. They went from nothing and nobody. In a very short period of time, people started first laughing at them and dismissing them. Now they’re asking the Savannah Bananas how they did it.

Nicholas Saller [00:11:13]:
And these are not just any old people. These are Major League Baseball teams that are asking how they did it. The Savannah Bananas have the most contrarian marketing style of Most organizations, especially in a very established and, somewhat kind of Established from a baseline is is we don’t wanna change. We’ve done it this way

Jeffro [00:11:34]:
for a long time. It’s a sacred tradition. Right?

Nicholas Saller [00:11:36]:
Yeah. There you go. Yeah. And so they came along and they said, hey. We’re gonna disrupt this. And now baseball teams are inviting them into their organization to tell them how they did it and show them how that baseball team can do it better.

Jeffro [00:11:47]:
Yeah. I love the Savannah bananas there. And, I mean, any, I would love to go to a game. They’re sold out every every game now, way in advance as soon as they open it up. So that that’s a great example.

Nicholas Saller [00:11:58]:
Fun fact at school that you know about, they, at last, checked, they had a 50,000 fan waiting list for tickets, and they have a 10,000 person waiting list to work for the organization. So when you go in the opposite direction as the market, that can be the rewards that the organization can enjoy when they’re willing to kinda Go with what’s good, but go in the opposite direction of what everybody else in the herd is doing.

Jeffro [00:12:22]:
Right. Because at the end of the day, it’s still baseball. It’s just way more entertaining baseball. Because that if you think about the biggest complaint, from people going to a baseball game, some people are really into baseball. Right? But Most others are like, okay. I like watching baseball, but they usually get tired by 6th, 7th inning. They’re like, alright. I’m gonna go home.

Jeffro [00:12:41]:
There haven’t been any home runs. It’s not that exciting. So they fixed that problem. And so that objection is now gone, and their stadium is filled every game.

Nicholas Saller [00:12:52]:
Yeah. And to your point and to their credit, I just recently finished Jesse Cole’s book. I think he’s got another one on the way and also regularly followed them. And what he said was is that they are full on playing baseball. Like, that’s a real competition that you’re watching on the field. They’ve changed the rules to make it fun for the fans, and then the show off the field is just as good, if not better, to keep fans engaged at all times.

Jeffro [00:13:17]:
Yeah. And they’re always trying new things. That’s the other, piece of it. So even though they came up with this whole new shift, they don’t just Playing out, okay, here is our strategy. After 1st inning, we have the juggler. 2nd inning, we do that like, no. They’re doing different stuff every game. Constantly trying new stuff, seeing what works, what doesn’t, and just, you know, having fun with it.

Nicholas Saller [00:13:38]:
Yeah. And you you just made a really good point, Jeffro, is is that, I had said something to the effect of don’t be afraid to go in the opposite direction, but you made a good point along the lines of don’t be afraid to innovate. And it’s okay if it’s not Always perfect and doesn’t always work out, but it’s the innovative folks that are willing to kinda put themselves out there in a vulnerable way from a marketing and digital marketing standpoint that Attract a lot of attention from their ideal populations that they look to serve.

Jeffro [00:14:04]:
Yeah. I saw a post on LinkedIn from someone I follow recently, and it was a Blank piece of paper, and it says, people who are okay with not getting it right, you know, not perfectionist. And this guy scribbly line, and then eventually kinda out. And then down here, it’s like people who are waiting to get it perfect before they start, and there’s no line. Right? So you gotta be okay with Trying some stuff and looking a little silly before you figure it out in order to make that progress.

Nicholas Saller [00:14:33]:
Yeah. You know, make educated guess. You Certainly, there’s exports that can help guide businesses and stuff. It’s good to be read up. It’s good to know what your brand is and what’s on brand or near brand. But when it comes down to it, just getting started is a huge, kind of feather in the cap, so to speak, of a business that’s looking to grow and and have better marketing.

Jeffro [00:14:52]:
Yeah. And and I really wanna remind people why marketing matters in the 1st place because the reality is that the most skilled worker or the business with the best quality product Doesn’t automatically win. It’s the most visible and the most relatable companies that end up winning, and the ones that are there trying stuff innovating and not going away. So what would be your advice for helping a company kind of position themselves to be a winner in that space kind of with all this in mind?

Nicholas Saller [00:15:18]:
Yeah. It’s you just, again, touched on a really good point. And and to your point, in the hamburger space, the best selling hamburger is McDonald’s. And in the wine space, the best selling wine is Franzia. Not either one is known for their quality or for their excellence. It’s It’s mass production. And so with that in mind and to your question, I would encourage brands that really want to be able to reach their audience in meaningful ways is listen to their audience first and foremost. People are not necessarily always buying for quality or luxury or whatever is.

Nicholas Saller [00:15:50]:
What is your market? How does your product fit into that market? And listen to the people. They’re gonna tell you how they want your brand to be positioned, But it’s the companies that listen and then find out a way to make people feel really good about partnering with that brand or or, frequenting that brand. That’s the difference maker there. It’s the people that listen and the companies that listen.

Jeffro [00:16:11]:
Right. Because then you understand who you’re serving and what those people want and what you’re bringing to the table. Because you certainly could try to be the cheapest burger. You could also try to be the most expensive, tastiest, best burger in the world, But the people who are gonna be buying the expensive burger are not the same as the cheap ones, and they care about different things. You advertise on different platforms or in different, You know, billboards or cities, like, that all changes your strategy and where you go, what you’re spending your time on. So you kinda have to understand that up front As you make that strategy before you then dive into the specific channel that you’re gonna go after.

Nicholas Saller [00:16:46]:
Understand your ideal market audience.

Jeffro [00:16:48]:
Yep. We keep coming back to that on this podcast. It’s a big deal. So what are some other common mistakes that business owners make when it comes to this stuff?

Nicholas Saller [00:16:58]:
One of the common mistakes that I’ve seen is is that, just because information is out there doesn’t mean it’s good information. And people will sometimes the lead just because it’s a fan a a well shot video or it’s a very compelling message or something like that. Like, you know, go with us because of blah blah blah. And it’s like, 1, does it fit with your brand? 2, does it make any sense whatsoever? 3, like, How many other brands in your space have used a similar approach and been successful? Because what is often popular is not necessarily the best approach For the individual brand, you have to kinda weigh it and make sure it’s gonna be a good fit. I think a lot of people and I I experience this quite regularly actually is is that, A company will throw good money after bad tens of 1,000 of dollars for someone to tell them, do this, do that, do this. And they do it, but they didn’t really consider how it’s gonna fit or if it was even gonna work. And so they paid the money. They didn’t get the results.

Nicholas Saller [00:17:56]:
The people that are doing the work then say, well, you didn’t do this, that, or the other thing to make this successful. And it just becomes a he said, she said type situation. Nobody wins. The entrepreneur walks away disappointed. The business that did the work is disappointed. The entrepreneur didn’t do their part or whatever. But, just Because it’s popular doesn’t mean that it’s the right fit for the company.

Jeffro [00:18:19]:
Right. And and that you touched on one of the big challenges of entrepreneurship and business ownership is There are so many facets of it and layers of things that have to go right that you can’t if you take your eye off the ball and just assume this is gonna work, you know, chances of that happening, you know, 5050, flip a coin, depends on who the person was, you know, how much they care about getting it right. You know, if they’re just there for the paycheck, You know, they’ll tick all the boxes, but they will probably miss the core of who they’re going after or why they’re doing it in the 1st place, and it won’t connect. So, yeah, that that’s an ongoing challenge.

Nicholas Saller [00:18:54]:
1, maybe one more example would be is is that sometimes business owners just get it in their mind that they need Some sort of solution. So they just pick something because they feel like it’s doing good for them for whatever reason. Like, oh, I’ll throw money at this problem. Not really considering whether it’s a good solution or not. It’s not because the message was compelling from whoever is selling the solution. It’s just like, I’ve got 5,000. I got $50,000, and I need This, and they buy the wrong solution because they didn’t do any homework on making sure it was a good solution for their company.

Jeffro [00:19:23]:
Right. Just went with the 1st pitch or, like, alright. Sounds good. This That way they can get the problem off their plate and move on to something else. Alright. Well, I think we’ve covered a lot of, topics here that I mean, they’re all related, of course, but there’s a lot of good nuggets in how we approach business and marketing, making sure we do it with intentionality, knowing who we’re talking to and what we’re bringing to the table, because that all affects how successful it’s going to be. So thank you, Nick, for taking the time to be here with us and help us rethink our approach and identify these blind spots that we have and that, you know, stuck in the status quo mentality. I appreciate everything that you’ve shared with us.

Jeffro [00:20:02]:
Guys, make sure you go connect with Nick on LinkedIn. His profile link will be in the episode description. Nick offers a business builder value session that is super helpful. So like he said, reach out. He does that no strings attached, and he’s a super helpful, generous guy. So, Nick, do you have any closing thoughts that you’d like to leave us with?

Nicholas Saller [00:20:19]:
Yeah. Thanks, Jeffro. I would just say if as a business owner, it’d be kinda lonely out there. So, align yourself with some other business owners that you trust And bounce ideas off them. It’s a really great kinda ecosystem to have. And, also too, you know, Information and knowledge is so easy to come by nowadays, so there’s no excuse to not be a voracious reader. And if you’re not a reader like me, what’s your excuse? Go get some audiobooks, and they are free from the library. You can download an app and put in a library card and have a free library of business books to help you build your business, for little to no cost.

Nicholas Saller [00:20:52]:
So there’s no excuses anymore about not being well read when it comes to being a entrepreneur or just a professional in general.

Jeffro [00:20:58]:
That’s right. Always gotta be growing. Thanks again, Nick, for being here, and thanks to all of you for listening. I’ll see you in the next episode. Thanks for tuning in to the Digital Dominance podcast brought to you by Fro Bro. Each week, we dive into various digital marketing topics likes to help you get more clients online. If you really want to dominate, go to frobro.com/dominate for a free evaluation of your online find presence. It’s time for Digital domination.